I call it “cell phone-itis.” You’ve seen it.

You walk into a restaurant or bar and you’re bound to see at least one customer, head bowed, seemingly talking to themselves.

More often then not, get closer and you’ll notice a cell phone stuck to their ear.

Look around the place, they’re everywhere.

It seems like every week someone comes into my local establishment with a new model.

They’re getting smaller, lighter, some have built-in cameras (Maxwell Smart would have been envious).

They come in cool colours, with Internet access, programmable ring tones, video games…blah blah blah.

Good grief, I’m surprised they still let you make a phone call.

Wanna have some fun?

One night at your local pub, call one of your friends from around the corner and watch everybody grab their phones.

Hang up and do it again.

I know, kid stuff, but what the hell.

I’ve been doing a lot of travelling recently and was amazed at the cell phone use at the airport departure gates.

Doesn’t anybody say goodbye in person anymore?

I admit, I do have one for business but very rarely use it to socialize or discuss world politics.

It rarely rings and that’s OK with me.

Apparently, there are numerous teenagers who are independently wealthy.

I can’t imagine to what extent their phone charges must be or how they can afford to pay them.

There is a lot to be said about parents being able to contact their teenager day or night (providing of course that there’s enough power left after they’ve talked to their friends) but there isn’t a student rate so we’re talking big bucks.

Yes indeed, they’ve come a long way.

I remember the first cell phones, they were heavy beasts, about the size of a litre milk carton.

A charge would last just a few hours on standby and if you actually talked for any length of time the battery would usually die before the conversation (sometimes that’s a very good thing, especially when you’re 19 and explaining to your girlfriend why you’re going to Florida with your buddies for the weekend.)

But back to today’s technology. Can anybody tell me what good extending an antenna five inches is going make in increasing the signal strength?

Think about it.

You’re standing six feet tall, the signal is being beamed to you from a satellite miles above Earth and that extra five inches is going to make all the difference.

I don’t think so.

No doubt, when you’re on the road for days there’s comfort knowing you can contact your loved ones – and they can contact you – if need be with the push of a few buttons.

Like them or not, cell phones have made a huge impact on our lives.

– Rob Wilkins is the publisher of Truck News. He can be reached at 416-442-2097.